Posts tagged Cities

Some cities have started offering incentives to get people to ride transit. “Circular cities” could reduce waste and overconsumption. A study shows how highways have hindered cities’ growth over the last 60 years. Keep reading…

How do you compare the population of cities across the country, correcting for the randomness of political borders? You can't use official city populations, and metropolitan areas are only a little better. Here's a better method. Keep reading…

Despite the fact that downtown DC receives more than 20 million visitors a year and hosts thousands of more residents every day, it currently only has five public restrooms available during the day off the Mall — all of the rest are privately operated. A bill before the DC Council this fall could change that, but it needs your help. Keep reading…

The Washington region is made up of a lot of different local governments, and every person who lives in the area has someone who represents them at a city, county, and/or state level. I calculated which Washington region voters get more representation for their vote, and which get less. Keep reading…

As of 2016, DC had designated 26,749 properties as historic landmarks or historic districts. That's 19.4 percent of all properties in the District — a proportion many times higher than in cities that are larger and/or older than Washington. Keep reading…

As a followup to our initial post about Baltimore's potential $1 home program, we decided to take a look at how successful these initiatives have been in other cities. People line up for dollar homes, but in most cases the initial enthusiasm meets the tough realization that a $1 property would not be habitable from day one. Keep reading…

London’s Plan is still in its early stages of public feedback and development, but while we wait for DC’s own amendment process to come to fruition, it’s worth looking to other big-city plans like this for inspiration and ideas. Keep reading…

DC uses buses less than many metropolitan areas, and could perhaps benefit from light rail. Here's what a look at the most popular forms of transit in cities across the US can tell us about the options in the Washington region. Keep reading…

Cities in our region are just starting to unlock the potential of accessory dwellings. There is still more to be done, but let’s take a moment to look back on how hard it was to get to this point. Keep reading…

Here's what your urbanist neighbors across the Washington region have been up to these past few months: what we're writing, what we're reading, what we're working on, and ways you can take action. Keep reading…

In DC, it’s an open secret that players in the social sports leagues on the National Mall are not carrying soda or water in their red solo cups. So why don't we just take a cue from Europe and allow alcohol in public parks already? Keep reading…

Height restrictions aren't a black-and-white issue; cities around the world have balanced historical preservation and modern development in a variety of different ways. What could DC learn from Paris, Milan, London, and others? Keep reading…

Some experts think at some point in the not-so-distant future personal vehicles will be a relic of the past, replaced by something called “microtransit.” However, urban development experts aren't optimistic about getting aid in the transition from the federal government anytime soon. Keep reading…

“What is your favorite podcast?” This may have been a rare question five years ago, but now it's hard to go to a happy hour without being posed this question. Thankfully, GGWash contributors have shared theirs–with an urbanist bent, of course. Now you'll have lots of wonderful, wonky recommendations for your colleagues. Keep reading…

Around the country housing authorities are running out of money. They're trying to adapt by exploring new ways to provide low-income housing while staying financially stable. But why are we in this predicament to begin with? Keep reading…

The best approach to development accepts that all neighborhoods – like the world around them and the people within them – are always going to change. Just as biodiversity boosts ecosystems, so embracing diverse and evolving buildings can help cities be more resilient. Keep reading…

Several cities in the Washington region that we think of as relatively small or unimportant places today have illustrious histories and were, in their heyday, places of national importance. Keep reading…